1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet-like object sorter and a discharged paper processing device for image-forming apparatus employing the same. Specifically, the present invention relates to a discharged paper processing device which performs sorting of plain paper, transparent films for OHP or the like discharged mainly from an image-forming apparatus such as a printer or a copying machine, as well as to a sorter which sorts sheet-like objects fed thereto such as a sorter for sorting sheet-shaped pouches each containing medicine or food for example or a sorter for sorting postcards or sealed letters.
2. Description of Related Art
In an image-forming apparatus such as a printer or a copying machine, there is optionally provided a discharged paper processing device which is removably attached to the image-forming apparatus and operates to sort a multiplicity of recording paper sheets on which recording has already been made. A typical discharged paper processing device does not have the function of conveying recording paper sheets from an image-forming apparatus or sorting such recording paper sheets and provides such functions on the image-forming apparatus side.
In xe2x80x9csorterxe2x80x9d disclosed in Japanese Utility-Model Application Laid-Open No. 4-122557 (1992) for example, a conveying path for conveying recording paper and a plurality of branching guides for taking recording paper out of the conveying path are provided on the image-forming apparatus side, while a plurality of bins are removably attached to an image-forming apparatus, whereby any one of the branching guides leads recording paper to any one of the bins.
In the conventional xe2x80x9csorterxe2x80x9d mentioned above having the branching guides provided on the image-forming apparatus side and the bins removably attached to the image-forming apparatus, however, the branching guides and the bins are separate members and, hence, a large clearance is formed between the branching guides and the bins and causes jamming of recording paper to take place during the conveyance from a bin to a branching guide. In addition, the conventional xe2x80x9csorterxe2x80x9d adopts a structure which allows the bins to be easily removed for jammed recording paper to be removed, and this structure causes the clearance to be enlarged, making it difficult to prevent jamming of recording paper. Further, the conventional xe2x80x9csorterxe2x80x9d mentioned above requires various sensors to be provided on the branch paths for detecting jamming of recording paper.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the foregoing problems of the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a discharged paper processing device for image-forming apparatus with which jamming of recording paper is difficult to take place. It is another object of the present invention to provide a sorter with which jamming of sheet-like objects is difficult to take place.
In order to solve the foregoing problems, the present invention provides a sheet-like object sorter for sorting sheet-like objects discharged from a main apparatus and taking in the sorted sheet-like objects into a plurality of bin units, characterized in that: a bin unit assembly comprising a stack of the plurality of bin units is configured to be removably attached to a sidewall of the main apparatus; when the bin unit assembly is attached to the sidewall of the main apparatus, a conveying path for sheet-like objects is formed between a wall surface of the sidewall of the main apparatus to which the bin unit assembly is attached and an end portion of each of the bin units; and each of the bin units comprises a gate capable of selectively positioning a first position and a second position for taking in the sheet-like objects being conveyed on the conveying path, wherein when the gate positions at the first position, the conveying path is blocked to guide sheet-like objects being conveyed on the conveying path into each the bin unit, and when the gate positions at the second position, the conveying path is opened to allow sheet-like objects being conveyed on the conveying path to pass by.
The sheet-like object sorter of the above construction according to the present invention is provided with the gates on the bin unit assembly side for guiding sheet-like objects being conveyed on the conveying path into respective bin units. For this reason, any clearance causing jamming of sheet-like objects is not formed between the gates and the bin unit assembly and, hence, it is possible to guide such sheet-like objects from the conveying path to respective bin units through the gates smoothly. Further, since the conveying path is formed between the sidewall of the main apparatus and the end portions of the bin units forming the bin unit assembly, it is possible to put out and retract the gate provided at each bin unit relative to the conveying path easily. Moreover, since each gate is provided on a respective one of the bin units forming the bin unit assembly, the main apparatus can be simplified in structure.
The sheet-like object sorter of the present invention may have a feature wherein the bin units each comprises a tray for receiving sheet-like objects, and a conveyor roller for conveying sheet-like objects guided by the gate provided at each bin unit to the tray.
The sheet-like object sorter with this feature according to the present invention is capable of guiding sheet-like objects into each bin unit from the gate and then to the tray.
Further, the sheet-like object sorter of the present invention may have a feature wherein the bin units each comprises a driving unit controlled from the main apparatus so as to cause the gate to position one of the first position and the second position selectively.
The sheet-like object sorter with this feature according to the present invention allows the main apparatus to control putting out and retraction of the gate.
Yet, the sheet-like object sorter of the present invention may have a feature wherein dent portions into which a front edge portion of the gate provided at each of the bin units is put are formed on a sidewall of the main apparatus so that a front edge portion of the gate is put into a sidewall of the conveying path on the main apparatus side when the gate positions at the first position.
In such a sheet-like object according to the present invention, when the front edge of the gate is put into the dent portion formed on the sidewall of the main apparatus, any clearance or protrusion causing jamming of sheet-like objects is not formed between the front edge of the gate and the sidewall of the main apparatus and, hence, it is possible to guide sheet-like objects from the conveying path into each bin unit by means of the gate smoothly.
Further, the sheet-like object sorter of the present invention may have a feature wherein: each of the bin units comprises a driven conveyor roller at an end portion thereof, the main apparatus has a driving conveyor roller on the sidewall thereof, the driving conveyor roller contact with the driven conveyor roller provided at each bin unit when the bin unit assembly is attached to the main apparatus; and sheet-like objects are conveyed while being caught between the driving conveyor roller and the driven conveyor roller.
In the sheet-like object sorter with this feature according to the present invention, the driven conveyor rollers for conveying sheet-like objects along the conveying path are provided on the bin unit side and, hence, the structure of the main apparatus can be simplified.
Yet, the sheet-like object sorter of the present invention may have a feature wherein: the driven conveyor roller and the driving conveyor roller comprises at least one pair, respectively; and space of the at least one pair of driven conveyor rollers and space of the one pair of driving conveyor rollers are set equal to or smaller than the width of a sheet-like object of a minimum size to be discharged from the main apparatus, respectively.
The sheet-like object sorter with this feature according to the present invention is capable of catching opposite side edges of a sheet-like object of a minimum size between the driven conveyor rollers and the driving conveyor rollers, whereby even sheet-like objects of a minimum size can be conveyed straight and sorted.
In order to solve the foregoing problems, the present invention also provides a discharged paper processing device for image-forming apparatus for sorting paper sheets discharged from the image-forming apparatus and taking in the sorted paper sheets into a plurality of bin units, characterized in that: a bin unit assembly comprising a stack of the plurality of bin units is configured to be removably attached to a sidewall of the image-forming apparatus; when the bin unit assembly is attached to the sidewall of the image-forming apparatus, a conveying path for discharged paper sheets is formed between a wall surface of the sidewall of the image-forming apparatus to which the bin unit assembly is attached and an end portion of each of the bin units; and each of the bin units comprises a gate capable of selectively positioning a first position and a second position for taking in the discharged paper sheets being conveyed on the conveying path, wherein when the gate positions at the first position, the conveying path is blocked to guide discharged paper sheets being conveyed on the conveying path into each bin unit, and when the gate positions at the second position, the conveying path is opened to allow discharged paper sheets being conveyed on the conveying path to pass by.
The discharged paper processing device for image-forming apparatus of the above construction according to the present invention is provided with the gates on the bin unit assembly side. For this reason, any clearance causing jamming of recording paper is not formed between the gates and the bin unit assembly and, hence, it is possible to guide recording paper sheets from the conveying path to respective bin units through the gates smoothly. Further, since the conveying path is formed between the sidewall of the image-forming apparatus and the end portions of the bin units forming the bin unit assembly, it is possible to put out and retract the gate provided at each bin unit relative to the conveying path easily. Moreover, since each gate is provided on a respective one of the bin units forming the bin unit assembly, the image-forming apparatus can be simplified in structure.
The discharged paper processing device for image-forming apparatus of the present invention may have a feature wherein the bin units each comprises a tray for receiving discharged paper sheets, and a conveyor roller for conveying discharged paper sheets guided by the gate provided at each bin unit to the tray.
The discharged paper processing device for image-forming apparatus with this feature according to the present invention is capable of guiding recording paper sheets into each bin unit by means of the gate and then to the tray.
Further, the discharged paper processing device for image-forming apparatus of the present invention may have a feature wherein the bin units each comprises a driving unit controlled from the image-forming apparatus so as to cause the gate to position one of the first position and the second position selectively.
The discharged paper processing device for image-forming apparatus with this feature according to the present invention allows the image-forming apparatus to control putting out and retraction of the gate.
Yet, the discharged paper processing device for image-forming apparatus of the present invention may have a feature wherein the bin units each comprises a tray for receiving discharged paper sheets, and a conveyor roller for conveying discharged paper sheets guided by the gate provided at each bin unit to the tray.
In such a discharged paper processing device for image-forming apparatus according to the present invention, when the front edge of the gate is put into the dent portion formed on the sidewall of the image-forming apparatus, any clearance or protrusion causing jamming of recording paper is not formed between the front edge of the gate and the sidewall of the image-forming apparatus and, hence, it is possible to guide recording paper from the conveying path into each bin unit by means of the gate smoothly.
Further, the discharged paper processing device for image-forming apparatus of the present invention may have a feature wherein: each of the bin units comprises a driven conveyor roller at an end portion thereof, the image-forming apparatus has a driving conveyor roller on the sidewall thereof, the driving conveyor roller contacting with the driven conveyor roller provided at each bin unit when the bin unit assembly is attached to the image-forming apparatus; and discharged paper sheets are conveyed while being caught between the driving conveyor roller and the driven conveyor roller.
In the discharged paper processing device for image-forming apparatus with this feature according to the present invention, the driven conveyor rollers for conveying recording paper sheets along the conveying path are provided on the bin unit side and, hence, the structure of the main apparatus can be simplified.
Yet further, the discharged paper processing device for image-forming apparatus of the present invention may have a feature wherein: the driven conveyor roller and the driving conveyor roller comprises at least one pair, respectively; and space of the at least one pair of driven conveyor rollers and space of the one pair of driving conveyor rollers are set equal to or smaller than the width of a paper sheet of a minimum size to be discharged from the image-forming apparatus, respectively.
The discharged paper processing device for image-forming apparatus with this feature according to the present invention is capable of catching opposite side edges of a recording paper sheet of a minimum size between the driven conveyor rollers and the driving conveyor rollers, whereby even recording paper sheets of a minimum size can be conveyed straight and sorted.
The above and further objects and features of the invention will more fully be apparent from the following detailed description with accompanying drawings.